JV MARINE WORLD – Top 10 Quintrex boat tests

Top 10 Quintrex Boat Tests – Of all the new and used boats sold in Australia, Quintrex remains number one. After a big year of new development and product launches, the famous Aussie boat brand is set to retain its crown. We tested a stack of new Quintrex boats in 2017. They started with a $3k cartopper weighing just 46kg and ranged up to a 7.60m Yellowfin hardtop with a $107k price tag.

In between, Quintrex has every base covered from $15k tinnies for outback fishing to $40k five-metre saltwater fishing boats through to new $50k Freestyler bowriders for watersports and family fun. What Quintrex does so very well is package ready-to-roll rigs designed and built for the Australian way of boating. That’s long been the case.

The big news in 2017 was the introduction of the Apex hull. Revolutionary and evolutionary, the new Apex hull breaks ground in the aluminium trailerboat market.On the water, the new Apex hull proved soft, safe, stable, dry and spacious — and this has certainly endeared the new Quinnies to boat buyers around the country. As it turns out for boatsales’ boat-testing team, 2017 was an especially big year aboard new Quintrex. From Moreton Bay to Melbourne, here are our Top 10 Quintrex boat reviews.

Actually, we couldn’t fit them all in so there are actually eleven.

The entry model in the Quintrex Wanderer range, the 3.0m square-bow, flat-bottomed punt offers more interior space and stability at rest than comparable V-nosed punts. Rated for short-shaft outboards to 6hp, the 300 Wanderer is perfect as a tender and for enclosed waters and car-topper fishing. Full Quintrex 300 Wanderer Review here.

2. Quintrex 390 Outback Explorer: Fishing Trailerboat Review
Quintrex has expanded its Explorer range with three great new models. Available in 3.5m, 3.7m, and 3.9m lengths, the new Outback Explorers are built around a new space-enhanced and performance-boosted F-Series of forked-bow hulls. For this review, we sampled the flagship 390 model with a 30hp electric-start, tiller-steer Evinrude E-TEC 30hp DFI two-stroke outboard and a range of options that created a sub-$15k flat-water fisher. Full Quintrex 390 Outback Explorer Review here.

3. Quintrex 470 Stealth Hornet: Fishing Trailerboat Review
Quintrex heralded the release of its new Apex series models during its 2017 new product launch, but the design team from Australia’s best-known boat brand also tweaked the Quintrex Hornet range, adding three new models — the 470, 510 and 530 Stealth Hornets. We nabbed the entry 470 series model powered by the new Evinrude E-TEC 60hp H.O. outboard for this review. Full Quintrex 470 Stealth Hornet Review here.

4. Quintrex 490 Cruiseabout and Yamaha F90: Review
It’s one of the most versatile Quintrex models in the range, a bowrider with a 90hp rating and a sharp Blade hull. Pack the family aboard for a picnic, tow the kids on tubes and head offshore for some fishing. And now, with the new F90 Yamaha on the transom, the Quintrex 490 Cruiseabout is an even more potent all-rounder. Full Quintrex 490 Cruiseabout and Yamaha F90 Review here.

5. Quintrex 510 Frontier SC: Fishing Boat Review
The 510 Frontier is the entry model in an exciting new series of open fishing boats from Quintrex. Available with side and centre console layouts, the 510 Frontier is equipped with the new Quintrex flared and deep vee Apex hull bottom, distinctive forked-bow shape, and raised side decks. The new 510 Frontier is an excellent bay and coastal fishing alternative to the more traditional Top Ender Quintrex models. Full Quintrex 510 Frontier SC Review here.

6. Quintrex 530 Freestyler: Review
One of the most versatile new Freestyler bowrider boats from Quintrex is the 530 model. Equipped with the ground-breaking new Apex series hull, the mid-sized Freestyler in the range is a modern looking boat with a soft ride, excellent stability, plenty of seating and ample storage space. Rigged with an Evinrude E-TEC 115hp HO two-stroke outboard, packaged on a Quintrex aluminium trailer, the 530 Freestyler is an attractive and affordable family boating package with great performance. Full Quintrex 530 Freestyler Review here.

7. Quintrex 570 Fishabout: Review
With the Quintrex 570 Fishabout, the classic forward windscreen Aussie runabout is alive and well. This versatile bay fisher and family bay cruiser is a leader in this category, competitively priced, nicely finished and with a level of ride, handling and performance to rival anything on the market. With an Evinrude 150hp G2 E-TEC on the transom, this rig is fast and fun. Full Quintrex 570 Fishabout Review here.

8. Quintrex 610 Fishabout: Fishing Boat Review
The Quintrex Fishabout series has been expanded with two new models – the 570 runabout and 610 cuddy cabin. The latter, the flagship of the range, is a tough, big volume boat with a huge rear cockpit and proven Quintrex Blade flared bottom hull. Rigged with the maximum power Evinrude E-TEC 200hp two-stroke outboard this family fishing boat is stunningly fast to suit a range of tow sports and fishing activities. Full Quintrex 610 Fishabout Review here.

9. Quintrex 630 Freestyler: Review
The stand-out new release from Quintrex this year is surely the 630 Freestyler. Armed with the innovative new Apex series hull and a brutally fast Evinrude 175hp G2 E-TEC outboard, this wonderfully-equipped sports bowrider is an absolute weapon on the water. It takes corners like it’s on rails, blasts out of the hole, and smooths over heavy bay chop with ease. The new Freestyler is an exceptional boat for tow-sports activities and family boating applications. One of the best new boats of the year. The full Quintrex 630 Freestyler Review is here.

10. Quintrex Yellowfin 6500 HT 2018 Review
The Quintrex Yellowfin 6500 HT has many strengths, among them the fact this sizeable package is able to be towed by most medium 4WDs and SUVs. This ‘launch-ability’ and ease of operation extends the fishing and boating exploration potential for adventurous fishos and holidaying family. Slipping the big-little rig into the drink is easy at the ramp or even a quiet corner of a beach somewhere. But this Yamaha-powered hardtop plate-boat was also refined when underway, with low running noise and a smooth ride for powering offshore and chasing serious fish. Full Quintrex Yellowfin 6500 HT 2018 Review here.

11. Quintrex Yellowfin 7600 Southerner HT: Fishing Trailerboat Review
Quintrex has added two new extended hardtop models to its Yellowfin boat range to provide more shelter for anglers fishing the colder southern regions of Australia. The new Southerner 7000 and 7600 HT are smart looking, nicely proportioned plate-alloy boats and first-class offshore fishing rigs. We tested the flagship 7600 series model with a powerful Evinrude ETEC 225hp two-stroke outboard motor. Stay warm and dry fishing the offshore Southern Bluefin Tuna grounds in this extended hardtop Quintrex Yellowfin Southerner. Full Quintrex Yellowfin 7600 Southerner HT Review here.

Click here for our full archive of more than 50 Quintrex boat tests.